Priya Ragu’s Play on Heritage in “Santhosam”

Check out the culture-filled album review.

Background actors dressed in lungis in Priya Ragu’s “Adalam Va!” 

Priya Ragu’s sophomore album Santhosam is jam-packed with hits and bangers that sweep the listener to many places, from the dance floor in “One Way Ticket” to the streets in “Black Goose” to a Hindu temple in “Mani Osai.” This album fuses cultures by mixing elements of Tamil music with R&B and pop beats under Ragu’s lyrics about growing up as a Sri Lankan-Swiss woman. On this album, Ragu joins a list of South Asian artists blending their heritage with the help of her producer and brother, Japhna Gold. The duo’s songwriting and production make the album sound cohesive even with different genres. 

Ragu follows a more significant trend of female singers from the South-Asian diaspora tapping into their heritage when creating their music. Her mix of Tamil sonic elements in songs like “Hit The Bucket” with pop beats is reminiscent of Raveena Aurora, an Indian-American R&B singer.’s latest album, “Asha’s Awakening.” There, Aurora combined funky guitar riffs with Hindi lyrics and sitar. While also singing about her personal experiences as an Indian-American queer woman.

Ragu’s choice in blending Tamil clothing like lungis with other apparel, like boxy Western suits, in her music video, “Adalam Va!” is similar to Joy Crooke’s sari and gold jewelry-laden music video for her song, “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now.” And yet, even as all three artists tap into their South-Asian heritage, they stand distinct from one another because of the diversity of culture and experience in South Asia. Ragu’s experiences as a Sri-Lankan-Tamil-Swiss woman differ from the Punjabi-American experiences of Raveena, which vary from Joy Crooke’s heritage as a Bangladeshi-Irish woman.

Mixing Tamil language and popular culture into the songs creates a new sound for those unfamiliar with Tamil culture while also having elements many Tamils would recognize. It works best in the song “Adalam Va!” (translation: “Let’s Dance”), on which famous Indian composer and songwriter Ilaiyaraaja is also a songwriter. The trumpets, drums, and guitars create a rising beat that pumps the listener up, making you feel ready for battle. In the song’s music video, Ragu stands inside a circle of men, only attacking individually. Swooshing sound effects create a vibe of nostalgia for anyone who grew up watching old Indian cinema.

Ragu (center) in the music video, “Adalam Va!” 

The song order makes the album feel coherent even when it has so many different genres at play. The record-scratching 90’s beat in “CornerStore” and the song “Mani Osai,” which borrows from Hindu prayer hymns, both feel right at home in Santhosam. The song order plays a crucial role in making the distinct sonic elements in the songs flow seamlessly alongside one another; nothing is out of place or jarring, and every piece slides into another without a hitch. 

As Gold mixes and produces, Ragu gets up close and personal in the album. She joined her father's band as a singer when she was 10. Here, she was exposed to many elements of Sri Lankan and Tamil music. But her father’s worries about her pursuing music as a career made Ragu hide her music from him for a long time. 

In “School Me Like That,” her emotions, like feeling limited and yet grateful, come up front as Ragu sings as the tabla(a pair of hand drums) plays in the background. She sings, “Oh, appa (dad) I'm good/We are done being chained. I was born to break them for good, good, good, good.” She quiets her father’s worry while breaking the cycle of constraints put on herself. 

In the pantheon of South Asian diaspora singers, Ragu has carved a niche as a singer and songwriter who brings in different aspects of her life, culture, and family ties to make a fun album.